Harnessing Digital Literacy Practices of Undergraduate Pre-service English Language Teachers in Tanzania

Abstract

Abstract
This paper examines undergraduate pre-service English language
teachers’ digital literacy practices to establish whether their digital
skills predict effective integration into language teaching and learning.
A total of 410 undergraduate pre-service English language teachers
enrolled in an education programme participated in the study. The
findings revealed that the transfer of digital skills from non-academic
to academic purposes was limited among the participants. According
to the results, digital experience outweighed age as a factor in
integrating technology into educational practices. Mobile devices were
also frequently used to access the Internet for teaching and learning.
From a pedagogical viewpoint, this study emphasises mobile literacy
in universities, where efforts should be made to code transferable
digital skills that may aid language teaching and learning.
Keywords: digital learning resources, digital skills, preservice
teachers, Tanzania, TPACK